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322d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
The 322d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, stationed at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio. It was inactivated on 8 Nov 1957. History Established as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber squadron in early 1942; it trained under the Third Air Force in the southeastern United States with final training under the Second Air Force in Washington. It deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England, being one of the first heavy bomber squadrons to arrive in that country. The 322d was one of the most highly decorated strategic heavy bomber squadrons in the European Theater, flying combat missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe until the German capitulation in May 1945. Most personnel were demobilized in England immediately after the end of the war in Europe. The squadron returned to the United States with a small headquarters staff and the unit was planned to be re-equipped and remanned as a B-29 Superfortress squadron. The Japanese surrender caused these plans to be cancelled and the squadron was inactivated, becoming a paper unit in the United States during November 1945. It was reactivated in 1947 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) long-range strategic reconnaissance squadron; but it was not manned or equipped until July 1948. It used B-17 and B-29 bombers refitted for reconnaissance missions. The unit deployed to Japan in 1950, and performed strategic reconnaissance missions over Korea and the Northern Pacific coast of Communist China and the Soviet Union. It was re-equipped with RB-45C Tornado jet reconnaissance aircraft, flying reconnaissance and mapping combat missions over Korea until being assigned to the United States in mid-1952. The squadron then re-equipped with RB-47E Stratojets and performed various reconnaissance missions on a worldwide scale until inactivation in 1957. Lineage * Constituted as the 322d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942 : Activated on 15 April 1942 : Inactivated on 7 November 1945 * Redesignated the 322d Reconnaissance Squadron on 11 June 1947 : Activated on 1 July 1947 * Redesignated the 322d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron on 10 November 1948 : Redesignated the 322d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium) on 6 July 1950 : Inactivated on 8 November 1957 Assignments * 91st Bombardment Group, 15 April 1942 – 7 November 1945 * 91st Reconnaissance (later Strategic Reconnaissance) Group, 1 July 1947 * 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 28 May 1952 – 8 November 1957 Stations * Harding Army Air Field, Louisiana, 15 April 1942 * MacDill Field, Florida, 16 May 1942 * Walla Walla Army Air Base, Washington c. 28 June-24 August 1942 * RAF Kimbolton (AAF-117), England, 13 September 1942 (ground echelon), early October 1942 (air echelon) * RAF Bassingbourn (AAF-121), England, 14 October 1942 – 23 June 1945 * Drew Field, Florida, 3 July-7 November 1945 * Andrews Field, Maryland, 1 July 1947 * McGuire AFB, New Jersey, 19 July 1948 * Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 1 October 1949 : Deployed to Johnson AB and Yokota AB, Japan 6 July 1950-28 May 1952 * Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, 11 September 1951 – 8 November 1957 Aircraft * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945 * RB-17 Flying Fortress, 1948–1949 * RB-29 Superfortress, 1949–1950 * RB-45C Tornado, 1950–1953 * RB-47E Stratojet, 1953–1957 References * Mauer, Mauer (1969), Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Air Force Historical Studies Office, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ISBN 0-89201-097-5 Category:Military units and formations of the United States in World War II